Exhibition — Reading Performance (2017)

A research exhibition, discussion and screenings at Artexte, Montreal

November 1 – December 15, 2017

Exhibition view, Reading Performance, Artexte, Montreal, November 1 – December 15, 2017. Photo: Paul Litherland. Courtesy of Artexte.
Exhibition view, Reading Performance, Artexte, Montreal, November 1 – December 15, 2017. Photo: Paul Litherland. Courtesy of Artexte.
View of Part 1 (Text) of the exhibition Reading Performance, Artexte, Montreal, November 1 – 18, 2017. Photo: Paul Litherland. Courtesy of Artexte.
View of Part 1 (Text) of the exhibition Reading Performance, Artexte, Montreal, November 1 – 18, 2017. Photo: Paul Litherland. Courtesy of Artexte.
View of Part 1 (Text) of the exhibition Reading Performance, Artexte, Montreal, November 1 – 18, 2017. Photo: Paul Litherland. Courtesy of Artexte.
View of Part 1 (Text) of the exhibition Reading Performance, Artexte, Montreal, November 1 – 18, 2017. Photo: Paul Litherland. Courtesy of Artexte.
View of Part 1 (Text) of the exhibition Reading Performance, Artexte, Montreal, November 1 – 18, 2017. Photo: Paul Litherland. Courtesy of Artexte.
View of Part 2 (Space) of the exhibition Reading Performance, Artexte, Montreal, November 22 – December 2, 2017. Photo: Paul Litherland. Courtesy of Artexte.
View of Part 2 (Space) of the exhibition Reading Performance, Artexte, Montreal, November 22 – December 2, 2017. Photo: Paul Litherland. Courtesy of Artexte.
View of Part 2 (Space) of the exhibition Reading Performance, Artexte, Montreal, November 22 – December 2, 2017. Photo: Paul Litherland. Courtesy of Artexte.
View of Part 3 (Image) of the exhibition Reading Performance, Artexte, Montreal, December 6 – 15, 2017. Photo: Paul Litherland. Courtesy of Artexte.
View of Part 3 (Image) of the exhibition Reading Performance, Artexte, Montreal, December 6 – 15, 2017. Photo: Paul Litherland. Courtesy of Artexte.
View of Part 3 (Image) of the exhibition Reading Performance, Artexte, Montreal, December 6 – 15, 2017. Photo: Paul Litherland. Courtesy of Artexte.

Reading Performance is the third edition of the two-fold exhibition project An Annotated Bibliography in Real Time first presented at Artexte in 2015. Echoing the lively research context at Artexte, this project, taking form as an exhibition, as well as a series of screenings and talks offers a dynamic space for discussion and exchange on past and present performance-based practices, writings and bibliographical research in Quebec and Canada.

This latest rendition is part of the long term university research project An Annotated Bibliography: Performance Art in Quebec and Canada initiated by the Art History Department at UQAM. It is dedicated to an extensive bibliographic survey and a comprehensive overview of writings, publications and printed matter on performance-based practices since the 1940s on a local, provincial and national level. By taking account of the wide variety of existing publications and discourses Reading Performance reflects on the collective spirit inherent in performance art, shedding light on various modes of production and circumstances of experience as well as the ongoing reception of performance art, over more than half a century.

Reading Performance is a research and writing laboratory that aims to occupy the exhibition space in such a way as to reflect and generate diverse discourses on performance art, as an inherently interdisciplinary and hybrid medium. Within this context the bibliography becomes a discursive tool active in the here and now, a method used to deepen and refine connections between the practice, production and writing of performance art.

This exhibition residency revolves around three main themes, which are articulated in three parts: text, space and image.

Part 1 — TEXT (November 1 – 18, 2017)
The Art Manifesto as Performative Text
Curated by Geneviève Marcil

Part 2 — SPACE (November 22 – December 6, 2017)
Staging Research
Curated by Emmanuelle Choquette

Part 3 — IMAGE (December 6 – 15, 2017)
Narratives of Self in Video Art
Curated by Jade Boivin

The setup of the exhibition is updated and transformed throughout its three iterations via selected texts, documents and videos. Reading Performance is a situation, as well as a process and way of reflecting on the relationship between research and artistic production.

As part of the programming, discussions and bibliographic annotation sessions are organized in the space during the exhibition period. A public discussion featuring Nicole Burisch, Joana Joachim, and Victoria Stanton and moderated by Barbara Clausen and Geneviève Marcil also took place.

Curators: Jade Boivin, Emannuelle Choquette, Barbara Clausen, Geneviève Marcil

Exhibition Details

Discussion

November 1, 2017, at 5pm – Why Bibliographies Now? with Nicole Burisch, Joana Joachim, and Victoria Stanton, moderated by Barbara Clausen and Geneviève Marcil (in French and in English) (watch the recording)

Exhibitions documents

Part 1: Text (November 1 – 18, 2017)

Part 2: Space (November 22 – December 2, 2017)

Part 3: Image (December 6 – 15, 2017)

Team and Credits

Research Director: Barbara Clausen

Curators: Jade Boivin, Emmanuelle Choquette, Barbara Clausen, Geneviève Marcil

Research team: Jade Boivin, Emmanuelle Choquette, Maude Lefebvre, Geneviève Marcil

Research and project support at Artexte: Hélène Brousseau, Frédérique Duval, Jessica Hébert, Joana Joachim, Marie-Claire Mériau & Sarah Watson

Editors: Barbara Clausen & Sarah Watson

Editing: Frédérique Duval & Sarah Watson, Artexte and the research team

Graphic concept: Gabriel Jasmin

Installation: Olivier Longpré & Graham Hall

Traduction: Simon Brown

With sincere thanks to the Sophie Bélair Clément, Vincent Bonin, Mathieu Grenier, La Centrale galerie Powerhouse, Montréal ; Western Front, Vancouver ; National Film Board Canada ; VOX centre d’image contemporaine, Montréal ; FADO, Toronto ; Concordia University Library, Montreal ; the Arts Library, the Faculty of Arts and the Department for Art History at UQAM.

Part 1: Text

The Art Manifesto as Performative Text
November 1 – 18, 2017

View of Part 1 (Text) of the exhibition Reading Performance, Artexte, Montreal, November 1 – 18, 2017. Photo: Paul Litherland. Courtesy of Artexte.
View of Part 1 (Text) of the exhibition Reading Performance, Artexte, Montreal, November 1 – 18, 2017. Photo: Paul Litherland. Courtesy of Artexte.
View of Part 1 (Text) of the exhibition Reading Performance, Artexte, Montreal, November 1 – 18, 2017. Photo: Paul Litherland. Courtesy of Artexte.
View of Part 1 (Text) of the exhibition Reading Performance, Artexte, Montreal, November 1 – 18, 2017. Photo: Paul Litherland. Courtesy of Artexte.
View of Part 1 (Text) of the exhibition Reading Performance, Artexte, Montreal, November 1 – 18, 2017. Photo: Paul Litherland. Courtesy of Artexte.

This first section of the exhibition is an examination of the artistic manifesto as a performative act, opening up a dialogue between the act of performance and the gesture of writing. With a nod to the theories of J.L. Austin (How to Do Things with Words, 1955/1962), this first part of the exhibition considers the manifesto both as a call to action and as an act in and of itself. Through the presentation of videos and publications/periodicals, the manifesto takes form through the different phases of its utterance: writing, dissemination and public reading. This treatment of the manifesto highlights the contribution of artists’ writing to the production and reception of performance and the definition of its renewed forms in the interstices between art, performance, poetry, video, dance and theater. Beginning with a discussion on the politics of bibliographical research, The art manifesto as performative text ultimately aims to question the position and methodology of the researcher in art history as well as complex relationships with their primary sources.

Curator: Geneviève Marcil

Exhibited Artworks and Documents

Videos

Bronson, A.A. (1975). Mixed Metaphors, 14 min 41 sec, ©Western Front.

Labrecque, J.-C. et Masse, J.-P. (1970). La Nuit de la poésie 27 mars 1970, 1 h50 min, ©Office national du film.

Manifestos

Adams, L.et Adams, M. (1976). 15 Dance Laboratorium Brochure, Lawrence and Miriam

Adams Portfolio, Dance Collection Danse, Toronto.

Anonyme. (1975). Exposition Art-Femme, pourquoi-pas? pis après? Fonds La Centrale (P128, HA01728). Concordia University Library, Special Collections, Montréal, Québec.

Arsenault, N. (2012). A Manifesto of Living Self-Portraiture (Identity, Transformation, and Performance). Canadian Theatre Review 150(1), 64–69.

Côté, D.-J. (1982). Réseau Art Femme. Intervention (14, février), 30–31.

Creighton-Kelly, C. (1991). Énoncé/Statement. Dans Richard, A.-M. et Robertson, C. (dir.), Performance au-in Canada 1970-1990, Québec : Intervention ; Toronto: Coach House Press.

David, G. (1969). L’enfin théâtre, Allez chier (1), s.p.

Demers, M. et Moreau, A. (1971). La conquête de l’environnement. Le Devoir (17 juillet), 15.

Dion Fletcher, V. et Salas, P. M. (2014). The Syndicate of Indigenous New Media, Performance, and Craft Artists Shikaakwa. Récupéré de <http://artspace-arc.org/workshop/manifesto-workshop/>

Duguay, R. (1970). Le manifeste de l’infonie. Le ToutArtBel. Montréal : Éditions du Jour.

General Idea (1975). Glamour. FILE Magazine 3(1), 20–33.

Householder, J., Mars, T., Fraticelli, R. (1983). A Pro-Feminist Primer. Parallélogramme 8(4), 44–45.

Intermedia Society (2010/1967). INTERMEDIA: A survey of Intended Project Areas. Dans Bonin, V. et Thériault, M. (dir.), Documentary Protocols = Protocoles Documentaires (1967-1975). Montréal, Québec: Galerie Leonard & Bina Ellen Art Gallery, Université Concordia.

Kantor, I. et Cantsin, M. (1991). The Interpretation of GIFT Manifesto. Dans Richard, A.-M. et Robertson, C. (dir.), Performance au-in Canada 1970-1990, Québec : Intervention ; Toronto: Coach House Press.

Konyves, T. (2011). Videopoetry: a Manifesto. Récupéré de <https://issuu.com/tomkonyves/docs/manifesto_pdf>

Loft, S. (2012). A Manifesto of Close Encounters. Dans Hopkins, C.et Farrell Racette, S. (dir.), Close Encounters: The Next 500 Years, Winnipeg: Plug-In.

Martel, R. (1990). Déstabilisation du modèle régnant et quelques déstabilisants. Inter (47), 16–23.

Mitchell, A. (2009). Deep Lez. No More Potluck #1. Accessed de <http://e-artexte.ca/25551/>

Morin, F. et Pontbriand, C. (dir.) (1975). Éditorial. Parachute (1), 3.

Morin, R. (1998). Refus total 1998. L’Action nationale, 88(7), septembre, 189–199.

OBORO (2009). Manifestoboro. Récupéré de <http://www.oboro.net/fr/activite/25e-anniversaire-d-oboro>

Opération Déclic (1973/1968). Manifeste-agis : Place à l’orgasme. Dans Robillard, Y. (dir.), Québec Underground 1962-1972, tome 1. Montréal : Médiart.

Richard, A.-M. (1990). Énoncés généraux : Matériau Manoeuvre. Inter (47), 1–2.

Robertson, C. et Woodrow, P. (1972). WE.OURSELVES.ROUGHLY.KNOW.SOMETHING. A review of the 1st world festival of W.O.R.K.S. Artscanada 29(3), 94.

Simpson, A. (1995). Making Native Love. Récupéré de <http://www.cyberpowwow.net/nation2nation/love.htm>

Soucy, F., Rousseau, F.M., Saxe, H., Robillard, Y. et Lacroix, R. (1973/1965). Manifeste Fusion des Arts. Dans Robillard, Y. (dir.), Québec Underground 1962-1972, tome 1. Montréal : Médiart.

Sullivan, F. (1971/1948). La danse et l’espoir. Dans Teyssèdre, B. et Dumont, F. (dir.), Borduas et les Automatistes, Montréal, 1942-1955. Montréal: Musée d’art contemporain de Montréal.

Thompson, M.J. (2002). Le refus corporeal: A manifesto after Paul-Émìle Borduas and Louise Lecavalier. Women & Performance: a journal of feminist theory 12(2), 217–233.

Woodrow, P. (1973). W.O.R.K.S A Conceptographic Reading of Our World Thermometer. Artscanada 30(4), 54.

Exhibition Documents

Part 2: Space

Staging Research
November 22 – December 2, 2017

View of Part 2 (Space) of the exhibition Reading Performance, Artexte, Montreal, November 22 – December 2, 2017. Photo: Paul Litherland. Courtesy of Artexte.
View of Part 2 (Space) of the exhibition Reading Performance, Artexte, Montreal, November 22 – December 2, 2017. Photo: Paul Litherland. Courtesy of Artexte.
View of Part 2 (Space) of the exhibition Reading Performance, Artexte, Montreal, November 22 – December 2, 2017. Photo: Paul Litherland. Courtesy of Artexte.

Examining the ways in which theoretical and document-based research is at the core of an increasing number of artists’ practices, this second part of the exhibition entitled Staging Research investigates how discursive and performative practices respond to the site specificity of the exhibition. The exhibited documents and recordings allow for an exploration of the strategies, tools and techniques that artists, such as Sophie Bélair Clément, Marie-Claire Forté, David Tomas, Stéphane Gilot or Francys Chenier, use to render their research visible as part of a process based mode of working. The focus on the various textual and paratextual elements — press releases, publications, recordings and documentation of interventions — surrounding or accompanying artworks, reveals the performativity of their underlying approaches and research based practices. Presented together, these different types of documents and ephemera highlight the processes at work in correspondences, conversations, requests, reports and narratives and engage with the position of the artist as researcher from several critical perspectives.

Curator: Emmanuelle Choquette

Exhibited Artworks and Documents

Video

Juan Ortiz-Apuy, Disruptions, 2010, 13 min 45 sec.

Texts and documents

Bélair Clément, S. (2011). Intermedia History, 1973, 01:01:34 (2011). Intermédialités (18), 183–200.

Bélair Clément, S. (2008). Pièce écrite qui tente de s’accorder au travail performatif qui tente de s’accorder au voisin qui n’a pas besoin d’être un voisin : (un objet ça fait aussi, c’est même préférable). Montréal : Éditions les petits carnets.

Bonin, V. (2011). Intermedia History − supplément. Intermédialités (18), 173–182.

Bonin, V. et Thériault, M. (2010). Protocoles documentaires (1967-1975). Montréal : Galerie d’art Leonard & Bina Ellen, Université Concordia.

Chenier, F. (2016). Voyage de têtes avec Sylvie Cotton. Montréal : Francys Chenier.

Farzaneh, S., Lengerer, A., Piccolo, J., Place, K., Quagliotto, N., Rincé, H. et Sabourin, C. (2016). Scriptings : #46 : A Catalog, in Any Case Unreasoned and Incomplete. Montréal : Vox, centre de l’image contemporaine.

Fraser, M. (dir.). (2011). Le travail qui nous attend. Montréal : Musée d’art contemporain de Montréal.

Gaudreault, C. et Saint-Hiliaire, J.-C. (1980). Le festival de performance : Symposium de Chicoutimi. Intervention(9), 28–31.

Lacerte, S., Bénichou, A. et Frenkel, V. (2010). Vera Frenkel: cartographie d’une pratique. Montréal : SBC Contemporary Art Gallery.

Martel, R., Tremblay, D., Robillard, Y. et al. (1980). Symposium international de sculpture environnementale de Chicoutimi. Chicoutimi : Corporation pour le Symposium International de Sculpture Environnementale de Chicoutimi.

Tayler, F. (2010). Constellation et correspondances : Transmission entre artistes, 1970-1980. Ottawa : Musée des beaux-arts du Canada ; Montréal : Éditions Artextes.

Tomas, D. (2010). Quand le document s’anime et le spectateur performe : Tim Clark, Reading the limits (2008). Ciel variable : art, photo, médias, culture(86), 8–16.

Tourangeau, J. (1980). Les performances : morceaux choisis. Vie des arts, 25(101), 45–46.

Ortiz Apuy, J. et Portis, B. (2011). A Map of the Empire of Language as a Place of Struggle. Lithographie offset (édition de 1000). Artist publication accompanying the installation Disruptions.

Exhibition Documents

Part 3: Image

La vidéo comme lieu d’une mise en scène de soi
6 – 15 décembre 2017

View of Part 3 (Image) of the exhibition Reading Performance, Artexte, Montreal, December 6 – 15, 2017. Photo: Paul Litherland. Courtesy of Artexte.
View of Part 3 (Image) of the exhibition Reading Performance, Artexte, Montreal, December 6 – 15, 2017. Photo: Paul Litherland. Courtesy of Artexte.
View of Part 3 (Image) of the exhibition Reading Performance, Artexte, Montreal, December 6 – 15, 2017. Photo: Paul Litherland. Courtesy of Artexte.

The third part of Reading Performance looks at how image politics define and reflect the construction and consolidation of identity. Through a parallel staging of videos, artists’ writings and related theoretical discourses, the exhibition investigates how images engage in a dialogue with queer and feminist discourses in performance art as well as the genesis of video-based practices. In their consideration of the ongoing relationship between performance, image and body, Canadian and Quebec artists invested in performance-based practices have used video to question the social relationships wherein identity is forged. The aim here is to investigate the reception of these video images as everyday and intimate forms of narration, as well as tools of identity formation on a broader political level. In parallel with the bibliographical research in progress and in keeping with its accumulative and collaborative method of working, this video programme emphasizes the importance of questioning the idea of a subjective art history. Video thus becomes the site of self-narrative, a site where desire and experience can be articulated through visual and media-based language.

Curator: Jade Boivin

Exhibited Artworks and Documents

Videos

Dempsey, S. and Millan, L. (2002). Lesbian National Parks and Services: A Force of Nature. 23 min., colour. © The artists and Video Pool.

Dempsey, S. and Millan, L. (2009). Lesbian National Parks & Services Presents: Endangered Species. 6 min. 30, colour. © The artists and Video Pool.

Texts and documents

Campbell, C. (1978). The Woman from Malibu. Toronto : Art Metropole.

Campbell, C. (1979). Modern Love. Toronto : Art Metropole.

Davies, J. et Greyson, J. (2008). Des gens comme nous : les potins de Colin Campbell. Oakville : Oakville Galleries.

Davis, H. (dir.). (2017). Desire Change: Contemporary Feminist Art in Canada. Montréal et Winnipeg: McGill-Queen’s University Press et Mentoring Artists for Women’s Art.

Dempsey, S. and Millan, L. (2000). Lesbian National Parks and Services Dive Into Australia : A Souvenir Guide and Answers to Frequently Asked Questions. Winnipeg : Finger in the Dyke Productions.

Dempsey, S. and Millan, L. (2001). Handbook of the Junior Lesbian Ranger. Winnipeg: Finger in the Dyke Productions.

Dempsey, S. and Millan, L. (2001). The Very Short Tale of Little Lezzie Borden. Winnipeg: Shawna Dempsey and Lorri Millan.

Dempsey, S. and Millan, L. (2002). Lesbian National Parks and Services Field Guide to North America: Flora, Fauna & Survival Skills. Toronto: Pedlar Press.

Dempsey, S. and Millan, L. (2012). Bedtime Stories for the Edge of the World. Winnipeg: Arbeiter Ring Publishing.

Dempsey, S. and Millan, L. (s.d.). Lesbian National Parks and Services: Busy as Beavers in «Michigan»: A Souvenir Guide and Answers to Frequently Asked Questions. Winnipeg: Finger in the Dyke Productions.

Dempsey, S. and Millan, L. (s.d.). Lesbian National Parks and Services: Wet, Wet, Wet! : The Prairies and You // Lesbian National Parks and Services: Bushfire Alert! : The Prairies and You. Winnipeg: Finger in the Dyke Productions.

Dempsey, S. and Millan, L. (s.d.). Lesbian National Parks and Services Welcomes You to Banff : A Quick Guide and Answers to Frequently Asked Questions. Winnipeg: Finger in the Dyke Productions.

Ferguson, B. (1991). Colin Campbell: Otherwise Worldly. Toronto: Art Metropole.

Ferguson, B. (dir.). Colin Campbell : Media Works 1972-1990. Winnipeg : Winnipeg Art Gallery.

Francis, M. (2012). Creative Subversions : Whiteness, Indigeneity, and the National Imaginary. Vancouver : UBC Press.

Gale, P. (1993). Colin Campbell : Invention, selected works 1972-1990. Toronto: Art Metropole.

Gale, P. (dir.). (1996). Video Re/View: The (Best) Source for Critical Writings on Canadian Artists’ Video. Toronto: Art Metropole et VTape.

Gever, M. (dir.). (1993). Queer Looks: Perspectives on Lesbian and Gay Film and Video. Toronto: Between the Lines.

Householder, J. and Mars, T. (dir.). (2004). Caught in the Act: An Anthology of Performance Art by Canadian Women. Toronto: YYZ Books.

Householder, J. and Mars, T. (dir.). (2016). More Caught in the Act: An Anthology of Performance Art by Canadian Women. Montréal et Toronto: Éditions Artexte et YYZ Books.

Jones, A. and Silver, E. (dir.). (2015). Otherwise : Imagining queer feminist art histories. Manchester: Manchester University Press.

King, M. (dir.). (2017). Queer/Play: An Anthology of Queer Women’s Performance and Plays. Toronto: Playwrights Canada Press.

Marchessault, J. (dir.). (1995). Mirror Machine: Video and Identity. Toronto: YYZ Books.

Metcalfe, R. et al. (1997). Queer Looking, Queer Acting : Lesbian and Gay Vernacular. Halifax : Mount Saint Vincent University Art Gallery.

Wark, J. (2006). Radical Gestures: Feminism and Performance Art in North America. Montréal: McGill-Queen’s University Press.

Waugh, T. and La Bruce, B. (2006). The Romance of Transgression in Canada : Queering Sexualities, Nations, Cinemas. Montréal : McGill-Queen’s University Press.